Clock



Y'Dec. 22, 1942. G. v. G. cuslN CLOCK Filed Jan. 1'7, 1940 Irl MIMI

Patented Dec. 22, 1942 l CLOCK Gaston Victor Georges Cusin, Paris, France, assignor to Cartier, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 17, 1940, Serial No. 314,315 In France June 5, 1939 (Cl. 5S-2) 9 Claims.

rlhe present invention has for its object a socalled mysterious clock constituted by a drum of horizontal axis the cylindrical surface, or periphery, of which constitutes a dial rotating with respect to a suitable index, and by a support on which said drum is mounted.

According to the essential feature of the presn ent invention, the clock is arranged in such manner that the whole of the drum and its journals or trunnions (with or without the index, according as the latter is fixed to the trunnions or to the supports) can be removed very easily from the support, and that, once it has been replaced on the support, the dial again indicates the exact time.

For this purpose, the drum is suitably weighed or balanced, either owing to a suitable arrangement of the mechanism thereof or by adjunction of a weight, such as a small mass of lead or other matter, and it rests, through a spindle and trunnions, on the semi-cylindrical bearings of the support, the index being either assembled to the trunnions or fixed to the support.

It will be readily understood that, with such an arrangement, after the drum has been replaced onto its support, it assumes by itself the exact position it had before, indicating the exact time.

When the index is fixed to the support, it is necessary to provide, on the lateral face of the t drum, a mark, or decorative motive which permits resetting of the clock without diiiculty.

Other features of the present invention will result from the following detailed description of some specific embodiment thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described, with reference to the accompanying drawing, given merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View of an embodiment of the clock according to the present invention, in which embodiment the index is rigid with one of the trunnions;

Fig. 2 diagrammatically shows a drum constituting one of the elements of the clock of Fig. 1, together with the trunnions and the index, the whole having been removed from the support;

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in longitudinal section of the drum, on the line III-III of Fig. e;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the clock according to the invention, partly in transverse section for the drum, on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the clock according to the invention,

in which embodiment the index is rigid with the support of the clock;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical view of the drum of the embodiment of Fig. 5, shown separate from the support.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by Figs. 1 to 4, the clock includes a support i provided with two columns or pillars 2 the upper ends of which form two open bearings 3 in which a spindle Ill rests freely. On the spindle are two trunnions 4 and 5a. Each of these trunnions is made rigid as by rivetting or any other known means with one of the end plates 5 of a drum. lThe periphery or cylindrical wall G of the drum constitutes a dial indicating the hours of the o1- dinary numerals. The clockwork mechanism is disposed between the two end plates 5 of the drum. This arrangement can be made as follows: The various gear wheels are mounted between two supporting plates 'l and 'la respectively xed to trunnions Il and 4a and the whole is rigidly mounted about an axis or spindle Iii, so as to be located, when the system is freely suspended, as shown by Fig. 4, at the lower part of the drum.

An additional mass 8 may be fixed to one of the supporting plates, for instance la, at the lower part thereof.

Ring-shaped part 6, which constitutes the cylindrical part of the drum, is given its rotation movement about the spindle I4 through any suitable means; for instance dial or ring 6 is made rigid, through arms 6a, with a disc (ib free to rotate on trunnion l and adapted to rotate toc gether with a pinion 9 which, in an ordinary clockwork would drive the hour hand of the clock. The rotation of pinion 9 produces the drive of cylindrical part 6. Opposite this cylindrical part, I provide an index l2 which, in the embodiment of Figs. l to 4, consists of a square bent part I i one branch of which is rigidly fixed to one of the trunnions, say ll. In operation it will be seen that the plates 5 remain stationary while ring 6, through arms 5a and disc 0b, rotates slowly. It is, therefore, necessary that there be some clearance between the periphery of plates 5 and the edge of ring 6 to prevent frictional engagement.

In setting the clock disc GZ) may be moved slightly away from plate l so as to allow for slipping of the driving gea-r wheels.

The clock being made in this way, it will be readily understood that it is possible to remove from the support the whole constituted by the drum with its dial and its trunnions and also the same bearing. It will be understood that, after i some small oscillations of the drum and trun nions 4, 4a, with respect to the bearings 3, the clock comes back to its position of equilibrium and still indicates the correct time.v As a matter of fact, this position cf equilibrium is fixed in space by gravity, owing to the action of the weight of the mechanism and, eventually, of the small additional mass 8, the center of which remains on the vertical of the axis of rotation.

In the other embodiment of my invention shown by Figs. 5 and 6, index I2, instead of being fixed to one of the trunnions and spindle i4, is stationary and, for instance fixed to one of the columns or pillars. With such an arrangement, it is the drum together with its trunnions which is removed as shown by Fig. 5. Resetting to the correct time is effected by rotating dial 6 with respect to the end plates which may be provided with a small mark I3 at a given point. This mark may be replaced by a decorative design constituted for instance by asetl of lines i3d the point of convergence of which corresponds to the marl; above referred to.

When the drum is replaced on its support, it comes back by itself to its position of equilibrium which corresponds to the correct time being po sitioned opposite the stationary index.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be practical and efficient embodiments of the present invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A clock of the type described which comprises, in combination, a stationary support, a i

removable frame freely journalled' in said support about a horizontal axis, a cylindrical drum movable on said frame about the axis thereof, a clockwork carried by said frame for causing said cylindrical drum to rotate about the axis of I' said frame with a uniform movement, the whole of the frame and the parts it carries being so balanced as to have a predetermined position of' equilibrium with respect' to said support, and an index carried by said frame so as to be in a given fixed position with'respect to said support.

2. A clock of the type described which comprises, in combination, stationary support, a removable frame freely supported and journalled in said support about a horizontal axis, a cylindrical part movable on said frame about the axis thereof and forming a dial, a clockwork carried by said frame and operatively connected with said cylindrical dial for causing it to rotate about the axis of said frame, with uniform movement,

the whole of the frame and the parts it carries being so balanced as to have a predetermined position of equilibrium with respect to said support, and an index rigid with said frame for indicating the time on said dial.

3. A clock of the type described which comprises, in combination, a stationary support, a removable frame freely supported and journalled in said support about a horizontal axis, a cylindrical dial movable on said frame about the axis thereof, a clockwork carried by said frame and operatively connected with said cylindrical dial for causing it to rotate about the axis of said frame with a uniform movement, the whole of the frame and the parts it carries being so balanced as to have a predetermined position of equilibrium with respect to said support, and an index rigid with said support for indicating the time on said dial.

4. A clock according to claim 3 in which said frame is provided with a mark which permits of resetting said cylindrical dial with respect to said frame.

5. A clock of the type described, which comprises, in combination, a stationary support, a removable frame freely supported and journalled in said support about a horizontal axis, a cylindrical dial movable on said frame about the axis thereof, a clockwork carried by said frame and operatively connected with said cylindrical dial for causing it to rotate about the axis of and with respect to, said frame with a uniform movement, the center of gravity of said clockwork being located at a distance from the axis of said frame, whereby said frame and the parts it carries has a predetermined position of equilibrium with respect to said support corresponding to said center of gravity of the clockwork being in the vertical plane of said axis, and an index carried by said clock so as to be in a xed position with respect to said support when the parts are assembled.

6. A clock of the type described, which comprises, in combination, a stationary support, a removable frame freely supported and journalled in said support about a horizontal axis, a cylindrical dial movable on said frame about the axis thereof, a clockwork carried by said frame and operatively connected with said cylindrical dial for causing it to rotate about the axis of and with respect to, said frame with a uniform movement, an additional weight carried by said frame for causing it to have a predetermined position of equilibrium under the effect of gravity, and an index carried by said clock so as to `be in a fixed position with respect to said support when the parts are assembled.

'7. A clock of the type described, which cornprises, in combination, a stationary support forming two bearings in line with each other in a horizontal direction, a frame including a spindle, two parallel discs rigid with said spindle and at right angles thereto, and two trunnions rigidly mounted on said spindle and extending outwardly from said discs, said spindle being adapted to rest in said bearings, a cylindrical dial extending between the peripheral portions of said discs and pivoted on one of said trunnions so as to rotate freely about said spindle and coaxially with respect to said frame, a clockwork carried by said spindle and operatively connected with said dial for causing it to rotate about the axis of said spindle with a uniform movement, the whole of said frame and the parts attached thereto, including said clockwork, being so balanced as to have a predetermined position of equilibrium about said axis, and an index carried by said clock so as to be in a iixed position with respect to said support when the parts are assembled.

8. A clock of the type described, which comprises, in combination, a xed support, two pillars rigid with said support extending upwardly therefrom, said pillars forming, at their tops, two open bearings, respectively, in line wtih each other in a horizontal direction, a frame including a spindle, two parallel discs rigid with said spindle and at right angles thereto, and two trunnions rigidly mounted on said spindle and extending outwardly from said discs, said spindle being adapted to rest in said bearings, a cylindrical dial extending between the peripheral portions of said discs and pivoted on one of said trunnions so as to rotate freely about said spindle and coaxially with respect to said frame, a clockwork carried by said spindle and operatively connected with said dial for causing it to rotate about the axis of said spindle with a uniform movement, the whole of said frame and the parts attached thereto, including said clockwork, being so balanced f as to have a predetermined position of equilibrium about said axis, and an index carried by said clock so as to be in a fixed position with respect to said support when said frame is mounted on said bearings.

9. A clock of the type described, which com` rigid with said support extending upwardly therefrom, said pillars forming, at their tops, two semi-circular open bearings, respectively, in line with each other in a horizontal direction, a frame including a spindle, two parallel discs rigid with said spindle and perpendicular thereto at an interval from each other, two trunnions in line with said spindle carried each by one of said discs and extending outwardly with respect thereto, said spindle being adapted to rest in said bearings, a cylindrical dial extending between the peripheries of said discs, a plurality of radial arms rigid with said dial and freely pivoted about the axis of said spindle, whereby said dial is free to rotate between said discs about said axis, a clockwork carried by said frame and operatively connected with said arms for causing said dial to rotate about said axis with a uniform movement, the whole of said frame and the parts attached thereto, including said clockwork, being so balanced as to have a predetermined position of equilibrium about said axis, and an index carried by said clock so as to be in a xed position with respect to said support when said frame is mounted on said bearings.

GASTON VICTOR GEORGES CUSIN. 

